Abattoir Practices and Animal Products Technology

CIVIL CONSTRUCTION

Antemortem and pen area

• The area should be made of impervious material such as concrete non slippery herring bone type to stand wear and tear, pitched to suitable drainage facilities.
• Curbs of impervious material 150-300 mm high should be provided around the borders of livestock pen area which should be covered.

Plant building

• Material should be impervious, easily cleansable and resistant to wear and corrosion.
• Floor should be non absorbent and non slippery with rough finish, and shall have suitable gradient for drainage.
• Coves with radii sufficient to promote sanitation installed at the juncture of floors and walls not less than 100mm.
• Interior walls should be smooth and flat, provided with sanitary type bumpers to prevent damage and constructed of impervious materials such as glazed brick, glazed tile or other non toxic, non absorbent material. Walls should have washable upto the height of 2m from the floor so that the splashes can be washed easily.
• Ceilings should be of good height (5m or more in work rooms), constructed of portland cement plaster or asbestos boards or other impervious materials, finished to minimize condensation. Walls above glazed portion and ceiling may be painted with water resistant paint to maintain them clean.
• Window ledges should slope at 45° to promote sanitation. Window sills should be 1200mm above floor level. Proper ventilation through mechanical venting or through working vents should be provided in roof structure.
• Doorways and Doors shall be atleast 1500mm wide, rust resistant, the juncture of door and wall shall be sealed with a flexible sealing compound.
• All windows and door ways should be equipped with effective insect and rodent screens. Fly chaser fans and ducts or air curtains provided over doorways in outside wall of food handling areas.

Vehicular areas for trucks

• Concrete paved areas properly drained and exending atleast 6m from building, loading docks or livestock platforms shall be provided.
• Pressure washing jets and disinfection facilities for trucks carrying animals are to be provided.

Drainage

• One drainage inlet for each 37m² of floor space with slope of about 20mm per metre to drainage inlets should be provided.
• Floor drains should not be provided in freezer rooms or dry storage areas.
• Each floor drain should be equipped with a deep seal trap.
• Drainage lines shall be properly vented to the outside air and equipped with
• effective rodent screens.
• Sanitary drainage lines should not be connected with other drainage lines
• within the plant and may not discharge into a grease catch basin.
• All floor drains should be easily cleanable.
• U drains set with satisfactory covers, made fly and rodent proof should be used.
• Floor drainage valleys of 600 mm wide, slope of 10mm per metre to drain with the valleys are essential under the dressing rails for hogs, calves and sheep.